Still Life

January 22, 2015 ~ Crystle ~ 7 Comments

Sleeping Woods | Yea Yea Pueblo

Still life: what an elusive concept.

Stil Life | Yea Yea Pueblo Still Life | Yea Yea Pueblo 095A6326 Sally the Beagle | Yea Yea Pueblo

With Isaac out of town the last two weeks, and Woods refusing to sleep through the night without mums face within arms reach, sleep has been fleeting, and alone time has been an abstract notion.

Tensions rose to a breaking point: the unending laundry, the sleep deprivation, and the thankless, lonely week left me on the brink of eruption. But the mood in my home finally pivoted from heavy and melancholy to light and refreshed. The kids and I napped at the same time this afternoon. I can’t ever remember catching sleep when feeling so run down, and I speculate I will never again be graced with a nap at such a opportune moment.

Downstairs, the vegetarian chili on the stove burned without my attentive stirring, and a package on the front porch sat uncollected, but when I awoke from my cat nap, my cheeks were rosy and youthful, and my spirit was restored. I could have cried from the relief, and maybe I did — but the takeaway is that I was extended grace when I needed it most, allowing me to do the same to my children.

I suppose one day I’ll realize these days will come and go, whether or not Isaac is called to service away from home. My sophomoric attitude towards motherhood needs refining through experience. If this week has taught me anything, it’s that I’m well on my way to gaining wisdom, but I think I’d rather have a full night’s sleep.

Turkey Sausage & Fingerling Potato Frittata with Alaskan Farm Fresh Eggs

November 28, 2014 ~ Crystle ~ 1 Comment

If I’ve ever had farm fresh eggs before this frittata, I certainly don’t remember it. I grew up in Bakersfield, CA, in a small tract-style home with a mature naval orange tree growing in the backyard. It always gave us more fruit than we could handle, so we often showed up to friends houses with large grocery bags full of oranges. This wasn’t unique to the Sanchez family either, many residents of Bakersfield had flourishing fruit trees, or held jobs with the growers of the valley. Bags of carrots, cartons of oranges, sacks of almonds and cases of grapes were all readily exchanged for goods and services among friends and family members. So I find it seriously strange that I cannot recall having had farm fresh eggs! There must have been a time, but it’s lost among the other early Bakersfield memories that have begun to fade from my mind.

Living in Fairbanks, AK really limits the availability of fresh anything, so when a friend dropped off farm fresh eggs from the farm of a mutual acquaintance, I was elated! Farm fresh eggs, in interior Alaska? Is that even possible? Apparently, it is. And these chicken champions lay some delicious eggs.

I knew that I wanted to make a dish starring these beautiful eggs, and a frittata immediately came to mind. This happened to fall on Isaac’s first day home from a week-long business trip, so we put the kids down for a nap, and cracked some eggs for a hearty mid-week brunch.

Mild Italian turkey sausage, fingerling potatoes, onion and cheddar provide the filling while thyme, rosemary and basil round out the flavors. It’s a easy dish made with ingredients we usually have on hand.

Turkey Sausage & Potato Frittata with Alaskan Farm Fresh Eggs

Author: Crystle

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 8

Simple turkey sausage and potato frittata made with farm fresh Alaskan eggs.

Ingredients

4-6 fingerling potatoes, diced into small bite sized pieces
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 lb mild italian turkey sausage, cooked
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 farm fresh eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp dried sweet basil
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp kosher sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 cup cheddar
1 tablespoon chopped parsley to garnish (optional)

Instructions

Put oven rack on highest shelf, and turn on broiler to low.
In an oven safe skillet, sautè onions, potatoes and cooked turkey sausage on medium high heat until the onions are translucent and the potatoes are soft.
In a separate mixing bowl, add eggs, dried spices, and milk, mixing into fluffy consistency. Add cheddar and mix.
Reduce heat to low, level the vegetables in the skillet, add egg mixture. Cook until the eggs set around the edges (about 3-4 minutes).
Place skillet in oven, and cook another 2-4 minutes, checking frequently to prevent scorching. When the surface of the frittata is taut and golden, remove from oven. Allow frittata to set for five minutes before serving.

Notes

Allowing the frittata to rest prevents it from sticking to your skillet. It also makes it easier to slice.[br]Feel free to sub-in turkey breakfast sausage to bring this back into the breakfast arena. [br]I cook my turkey sausage in advance, and add it into Annie’s Mac n Cheese, breakfast burritos, or frittatas for quick meals that are toddler-friendly.

Halloween Twenty Fourteen

November 1, 2014 ~ Crystle ~ 1 Comment

Margot will likely leave Alaska thinking Halloween is always spent with loads of winter clothes layered underneath an oversized costume, and that the sugary yield is always to be forfeited over to her greedy, salivating parents. Alaskan toddlers; they have it rough!

Nevertheless, Margot headed out the door for her first participatory Halloween celebration dressed head to toe in Patagonia gear, and a giraffe suit. I almost cried when I saw her waddle down the driveway, shuffling through the snow in her clunky snow boots, while holding her daddy’s hand. She’s just growing so fast, I really wanted to treasure the moment.

I stayed behind to hand out candy, and hang out with Woody. It was about 12F out, and I was feeling pretty partial to my comfortably heated sitting room downstairs. Woody can’t speak, but I’m sure he’d agree with me.

We were later joined by the Smith family. Their son Gavyn, just two months younger than Margot, is the apple of her eye. She’s been having a blast at play dates with him since the spring, and we mothers joke that they’re young betrothed sweethearts. They hug, and they share contagious giggles that echo off the walls of our cozy homes. Very few things bring more delight than watching them play together.

After this Halloween, I’m convinced I need to keep a big box of costumes on hand for regular play time. Kids in costumes are the greatest!

We (mostly Isaac and I) binged on candy tonight, and will likely feel a gnarly sugar hangover for the next few days (as we continue the Halloween binge – Ha!) since we have lots of leftover candy this year. I’m still trying to figure out if that’s a problem.